The students measured the height of the Corte Ingles building using angle meters they constructed out of paper and cardboard. They measured angles and distances between the building and where they stood. They recorded angle measurements between 50-60 degrees. Using trigonometric functions and the measured angles and distances, they calculated the height to be around 30 meters, with a relative error of less than 20%. They concluded this was a challenging first project but were able to determine the approximate height of the building.

1. PatriciaQuintero Romero
Marta de la Rosa Ramírez
Gerardo Fuentes Arrivas
María Martínez del Moral

2. THE CORTE INGLES

Our proyect consists in measure the height of
the Corte Ingles.

We use the angle meter which was made by
paper and cardboard. Each one of us have a
angle meter that we will use it to know the
angle of the triangle.

Now we are going to explain the process that
we use.

3. INTRODUCTION

To do this project we use the book like a reference
for us.

The problem consists in with out the heigh of the
building we measure the distance between the
wall of the building and the end of it.
19’42 m
11’56m

4. 
Then we use our angle meter to mesure the
degrees by looking throw the straw and the
weight of the metal coin that show which was the
degrees. We did it two times each member of the
group.
Angle meter

5. 
The historic process.
- We measure the floor tile, and then we
multiply the number of floor tile with their
large. And then we get the distance in meter.
- Each floor tile measure 0’60 meters.
- The firs distance measure 19’42 meters.
- The second distance measure 11’56
meters.
- Then when we know the distance we find out
that it was a rectangle triangle. So we use
our angle meter and we measure the
degrees.

6. This is the picture of the triangle that we did
to explain the problem and it’s useful to us to
see better the form of the triangle.
19’42 m. 11,56m
30,98m → 31m

7. 
When we had the measure of the distances and
the picture of the triangle; we took the angle meter
and each one of us saw throw the straw.
Name: First distance Second distance
Gerardo tg55º = 1’42 tg45º = 1
Marta tg55º = 1’42 tg45º= 1
Patricia tg50º = 1’19 tg50º = 1’19
María tg60º = 1’73 tg50º=1’19

8. 
When Gerardo looked throw this angle meter from
the first distance he measured 55º and from the
second distance he measured 45º.

Marta’s angle meter measured from the first
distance 55º and from the second distance 45º.

Patricia’s angle meter measured from the first
distance 50º and from the second distance 50º
again.

María’s angle meter measured from the first
distance 60º and from the second distance 50º.
So the absolute error in all of the measures is ± 5º.

9.  The relative error is the 5º
measure of each one
of us
So, the relative error of:
- Gerardo
5 = 0’09 5 = 0’11
55 45
- Marta
5 = 0’09 5 = 0’11
55 45
- Patricia
- 5 = 0’10 5 = 0’10
50 50
- María
5 = 0’08 5 = 0’10
60 50

10. 
To know the height of the building we did this
process:
1. We choose one of the degrees of the table that
were similar:
- First distance--> 55º = 1’42
- Second distance → 45º= 1

11. 1. To resolve this problem we use this formule:
Tg xº = h
distance(m)
So, to calculate the height we did it:
- Tg 55º = h h = tg55º x 19’42 =
19’42 m
= 1’43 x 19’42 = 27’7m.

12. - tg 45º = h = h
h
distance(1ª+2ª) 19’42 + 11’56
30’98
tg 45º = h h= tg45º
x 31
30’98
h = 1 x 31 = 31 m
After do these equations, and saw the results
we can comprobate that if we aproximated
both results the result is 30m, which is the
height of the building.

13. 
Conclusion:
This project was a little difficult for us because it
was the first time we did it, and we don't know
exactly how to do it.
But in the other hand we use the book for reference
and the book did the work easily.
The final result is the building of the Corte Ingles
have a heigh about 30 m, with a relative error of
<20%.